Fathers can be Chosen
by Mrs.HHr
Summary: Harry looses his parents but gains a father, how will Harry be different at Hogwarts growing up as a prodigy with a loving parent?


Fathers Can Be Chosen

Harry was walking down the street to the library like he did every day after school, only today was the first day of summer break. He should be out playing with his friends and getting a tan right? But Harry didn't have friends to play with or even a family that loved him. His parents had died when he was a year old so he was sent to live with his relatives, the Dursleys. They told him that his parents had died in a car crash but Harry knew they were lying, he always knew when people lied to him. The Dursleys hated him and his Uncle Vernon actually began beating him, it wasn't that bad now but it was steadily getting worse. Harry was a prodigy, if he tried something he mastered it and he was extremely intelligent, but instead of being proud the Dursleys called him a freak.

Harry knew it was illegal to make children sleep in cupboards or abuse them but apparently the Dursleys didn't care since they did it anyway. The neighbors believed the Dursley's untruthful stories about how Harry was a delinquent so they were no help. So Harry turned to books, he buried himself in studies and strove to make himself the best. He had long since quit trying to please the Dursleys, now he would make them regret the way they had treated him, if he had to hurt them to do it then oh well. He would never be evil but he didn't believe in light or dark, he believed in doing whatever you had to do in order to achieve your goals. If that meant murdering someone then Harry was willing to do it; these were dark thoughts for a seven year old to have but Harry had long since lost whatever innocence he had left.

Harry had been going straight to the library every day after school since Dudley began trying to bully him. Luckily, Dudley hated books so stayed well away from the library; because of his constant studying and high intelligence, Harry was fluent in six different languages, not counting English: French, German, Latin, Spanish, Indian, and Italian. Harry felt they would be important some day and he felt special knowing something most people never bothered to know.

Today he was going to study up on high school level math and science; however all thoughts of that was driven out of his mind as he passed the new bookstore on his way to the library. It had been set up for about two weeks now and Harry had stopped and stared into the display window every day on his walk; Harry knew he would never be able to buy a book while he lived with the Dursleys as they never gave him pocket money but still loved the sight of new books.

The owner of the store looked out the front window and frowned, there was that kid again. He never came in the store, he looked starved, and he always had those horrible rags on. Once or twice, Brice the owner, had even seen bruises underneath the boy's oversized shirts so that ruled out a homeless kid, he was obviously living with someone and was being abused. That kind of stuff made his blood boil, he couldn't have a kid of his own which is why his last wife left him but he had always wanted one. Maybe he could help this kid out, give him a job or something, and get to know him first.

As he walked toward the front he saw the kid up close and realized how truly small he was, he decided to buy the kid lunch, and he must be starving. He opened the front door and froze when he saw the huge bruise on the boy's face and the hand-shaped bruise on his arm, whoever had done this would paid. Brice slowly approached the boy not wanting to scare him and cleared his throat. The boy jumped and looked up at him, Brice inhaled sharply when he saw the slightly glowing emerald color of the child's eyes, they were the greenest shade Brice had ever seen and the inlaid sadness in them broke Brice's heart.

"Hey kid, what's your name?" Brice asked softly, not wanting to frighten the boy.

"Harry sir, Harry Potter. I-I'm sorry sir, I didn't know I wasn't supposed to stand here, I'll just go." Harry responded. Brice couldn't help but notice the longing glance Harry shot the books, apparently he was a reader.

"No its fine here let me look at that bruise, come on in." Harry hesitantly followed Brice into the store; his guarded face gave way to a look of wonder at the sight of all those books.

"You like books huh?" Harry jumped when he heard Brice's deep voice from behind him. Brice came back from the back room with a jar.

"This will help the pain and bruise fade away quicker." Brice explained as he gently rubbed the cream inside the jar onto Harry's face.

Harry had unshed tears in his eyes, no one had ever helped him like this before, it left him feeling kinda fuzzy inside. "There, that should do it; now you look hungry you want go across the street and get some lunch?" Brice offered, he knew he was being kinda pushy but he really wanted to help this boy and that began with getting some food in him.

Harry was once again hesitant but at the prospect of free food, he nodded and waited as Brice locked the front door. As they walked across the road to a little café there, Brice instinctively grabbed Harry's little hand and Harry didn't protest, it felt nice to have someone care. Once inside Brice ordered burgers and fries for them both; as they ate in silence, they both studied the other.

Harry watched Brice; he had black hair that was sort of messy like Harry's, he had a bluish green eyes that reminded Harry of the ocean, he looked rather like Harry and unknown to the both of them, James Potter. He had a healthy tan as if he spent a lot of time outside, and Harry couldn't help but notice the kindness in the man's eyes, Harry had excellent instincts and they told him to trust this man.

"Thank you, you didn't have to do this sir." Harry said when they were done, Brice had just paid and they were walking back across the street, Brice grabbing Harry's hand once again. Before Brice could respond, they bumped into an old lady who was walking past them.

"I'm so sorry ma'am here let me help you." Brice offered, he picked up the fallen bags and carried them the rest of the way across the street, Harry held the old woman's arm as they crossed the rest of the way.

"Oh thank you, you and your son are just sweethearts, a good day to you!" The old lady said as she got into her car, apparently she come from the grocery store next to the café.

Both of the males blushed but didn't bother to correct her, they did look rather similar.

"Oh and it's no problem Harry, you looked starving, now I wanted to talk to you. I've noticed you walk by here a lot and you stare at the books. I'm guessing you don't get an allowance from whoever you live with?" Harry nodded.

"Then how about you come by every day since it's the summer and help straighten up, I'd give you store credit and you cook buy books with it and I'll pay you a few dollars every week. I'll buy you lunch and if you come early enough, breakfast, if you save up enough at the end of the week then I'll take you to buy new clothes. How does that sound buddy?" Brice offered. Harry was almost overwhelmed, here was a complete stranger being kinder to him than his own relatives were!

"That sounds great, when can I start?" Harry said eagerly, this was the perfect job for him!

"Well since today was a bit of a slow day, you can just go around the store and straighten up books on the shelves, please." Brice said with a smile as he watched harry shoot off into the aisles.

This set the tone for the next three months, Harry would show up early, they would have breakfast somewhere, and then they would work until lunch, have a lunch break, and close later that day. Brice walked Harry to about a block from the Dursley's house after the first time when Vernon had answered the door and yanked Harry inside. Harry didn't show up the next day and when he did he had a new bruise on his arms and stomach; from then on Brice walked Harry to a block away from Privet Drive to make sure Harry got home safely.

Over the months, Harry and Brice got know each other and Brice even got Harry to tell about his life at the Dursleys, and while Brice had been angry there was nothing he could do right this minute. They both had hard lives, Brice's parents had died when he was fourteen and he was an only child. He had gotten a job, later gotten married until his wife left him because he couldn't bear children; he had started this store and met Harry which was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

When school had started two weeks ago, Brice would walk Harry to school and walk him most of the way home; the two had grown as close as father and son and Brice felt it was time for his surprise.

"Hey kiddo," this was what Brice called Harry, "come here for a minute."

Harry had grown so much since meeting Brice, he was no longer scrawny but almost the size he should be, it was hidden from the Dursleys by the baggy clothes that Harry were at their house. Now he changed in to the new clothes that Brice had helped him buy when he got to the shop. Harry was also no longer so quiet, he was usually smiling when he was with Brice, it was like having a part-time dad.

"Yeah d-Brice?" Harry slipped but caught himself, he had almost called Brice dad. But nobody would ever want to be his parent, not even Brice. Harry didn't know how wrong he was.

"Do you know what kind of papers these are, Harry?" Brice asked while showing Harry a stack of papers.

"Um no, am I supposed to? " Harry asked slowly.

"These are adoption and guardianship papers Harry. I feel like you're my son and I hope you think of me as a father, plus the Dursleys are absolutely horrid, so I was thinking about adopting you, or at least gaining guardianship, what do you think?" Brice asked nervously, what if Harry rejected him, it would tear him apart. His fears were unfounded as he found himself with an arm full of a sobbing now eight year old. The repeated whispered 'yes' and 'please' and 'I have a dad' left Harry in no doubt as to Harry's answer, he felt as if his heart would burst.

"It's alright there kiddo, come on." Brice soothed Harry as Harry let out his pent up feelings. Finally Harry stopped crying and Brice wiped the tears from Harry's cheeks. "You ready to have a real family?" Harry nodded frantically, his face splitting into a huge smile.

Brice chuckled, "alright I'll drive us to the Dursleys and get their signatures and your stuff, and then you can move in with me. We need to get you more clothes and supplies to set up your room and we have to change your school papers too. Now that you're going to be my son you don't have to hold back anymore like with the Dursleys. I'm extremely proud of your intelligence and I want you to do your best, I want you to show that intelligence okay? I think I'll transfer you to a school closer to home, it should give you a fresh start and a chance to have friends without your cousin bullying them." Brice said kindly, Harry nodded and smiled as Brice buckled him in the car, he could do it himself but it felt nice to have someone do it for him.

They drove to the Dursleys talking about how they were going to decorate Harry's room, Harry wanted a dark blue and silver room which were his and Brice's favorite colors. Harry became silent as they pulled up into the driveway at Privet Drive, it was time to face his relatives.


End file.
